The conversion of a waste product of biodiesel into secondary amines has been achieved using an iridium catalyst without the need to resort to complicated separation techniques.

While the synthesis of glycerol in biodiesel production is seen by the chemical industry as an avenue towards the creation of 1.3-propenediol, it remains a complicated procedure.

When 1.3-propanediol is obtained through the fermentation of glycerol using microbial processes, for instance, the fermentation products still need to be purified and separated.

However, a UK-based team led by Andrew Marr at Queen's University Belfast and Gillian Stephens at the University of Manchester has developed a new process which makes the production of secondary amines much simpler, a report which appears in the journal Chemical Communications reveals.

By using both microbial and transition metal catalysed techniques, which included the use of an iridium catalyst, the scientists were able to dispense with isolation and purification processes and still produce secondary amines.

"The new approach will allow a myriad chemical products to be derived from a single fermentation mixture," commented Mr Stephens.

"To our knowledge, this is the first time that a one-pot approach has been applied using products from whole microbial cells."

Chemical Communications is a weekly publication pertaining to the chemical sciences.

Sources:

Waste not, want not, 23/03/09
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2009/05/Waste_not_want_not.asp

Adding value to renewables: a one pot process combining microbial cells and hydrogen transfer catalysis to utilise waste glycerol from biodiesel production
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/CC/article.asp?doi=b820657k